Summer of Hope Renewed

Summer of Hope Renewed

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, thinking about the scene which had just recently played out. In front of him, objects began to repair themselves by magic as the mess Harry Potter made was sorted out. Frankly, he did not blame the boy. He feared that he had failed the boy as he had failed Tom Riddle. A single tear fell from his eye, which he did not bother to wipe away. His time on earth was shorter than he had realized, and his body's deterioration had been speeded up by his addiction to the Elixir of Life. While it had prolonged his life for many years, there was a cost. There was always a cost, he mused sadly. To give it up cold turkey meant that his body would undergo a hellish withdrawal, but he knew that it was indeed necessary to purge himself of his need. What had kept him feeling young and energetic for so long had not been able to arrest the aging process completely. It merely slowed time down for him, stretched it out longer so that Albus could do all the things he deemed necessary to ensure Harry's survival. He did not want to be ruled by the drug, but as Tom Riddle began to fade and be replaced by Voldemort, he realized that he was needed. That meant ensuring that he would be there to keep an eye on the situation. Lily's magic had defeated Voldemort once, but Albus knew it was not final. And so, he owled his dear mentor Nicholas Flamel for more Elixir. It was his fault that Tom Riddle had become a monster, and it was his responsibility to rectify the situation. He would take the burden from Harry if he could. This should never have been Harry's fight. He fingered the blood-red bottle in his hands. One more time, he pondered. Would Harry be ready for the final battle without his interference? Most likely not, since his plan had backfired. It did not take a Legilimens to figure out that Harry had lost the will to live.

The prophecy weighed heavily on both of their minds this evening. Harry could not kill his enemy, not without becoming that which he despised. Albus wept this night for the dreams that were lost. He wept for two boys with raven-black hair and green eyes, one of whom was lost to the darkness and the other on the verge of being swallowed by it. He wept for Harry whom he would not live to see defeat Voldemort once and for all, for without the Elixir of Life, the cancer would consume his tired old body. He never feared his own death, but had always feared Tom's and Harry's. No matter which one won the fight, one of the boys whom Albus loved would be no more. He only hoped that he had enough time left to help Harry train before the cancer spread. Poppy and Severus could not fight the disease since it had grown resistant to magical remedies, and the Muggle ones would not fare any better. Chemotherapy would have been helpful in a far younger man, but at his advanced age... No; it was better that he leave this world as he had entered it: kicking and screaming, a born fighter. He would use every last moment he had to prepare Harry, and fight alongside him as long as his body held out.

Even if it meant using the last of the Elixir...

A knock at the door startled him. "Albus? There is someone to see you," Severus announced in a hesitant voice.

"Send her in," he replied, knowing that this would be a difficult conversation, perhaps worse than the one with Harry. He had not been seen at the Leaving Feast. Albus had heard from the castle ghosts that he had been inquiring about things best left alone.

"You sent for me, sir?" Luna inquired, looking slightly worse for wear. She approached the Headmaster cautiously before climbing into his lap. He began to stroke her hair gently, marveling at its length. Her luminous silver eyes turned to meet his blue ones, a serious expression on her face. She noticed that his had lost their twinkle. Luna grabbed his beard and tweaked it gently, causing a ghost of a smile to grace his features. "I've always admired the texture of your beard against my cheek. Remember how we used to sit by the lake, eating sweets and trying to catch fish? Do you think we'll be able to do that again after Father and I return from Sweden?"

Sighing, he answered her question, "My sweet one, there comes a time when one must accept that there are no guarantees on how much time we are allotted. Do you understand? I may not be around for much longer." He hugged her tightly.

"Oh." She paused, thinking. "Well, then; where are you going?"

Her innocence pained him deeply. Aside from his brother Aberforth, Luna was all the family he had left. The passing of his beloved daughter still weighed heavily on his mind. "To be with your mother, dear child. I miss her terribly, you know." Albus waited for a reaction from his granddaughter. When none was forthcoming, he added, "Luna, I am an old man. My body is sick, and weary of this world. Neither magic nor Muggle medicine can cure what ails me. I am dying."

Luna's calm façade cracked slightly as she registered the import of his words. Yet, she bravely wore a cheerful face as she got straight to the point. "You are not deceased yet, Grandpa. We still have time to go fishing, then." She kissed his cheek, and settled back to gaze into his eyes.

Albus smiled gently, "I do hope so, Luna. I hope so."

Luna smiled dreamily, "Then, it's settled. You cannot die just yet, for we have a date. I can make it magically binding..." Luna could bring the twinkle back into his eyes, even on such a sorrowful night as this. Sirius had died a noble death at Harry's side, as he would have liked. Would he have wanted more time with his beloved? Certainly; however, he had known the risks when he left Grimmauld Place. The passing of Sirius Black was a sad affair, but Albus was more concerned with the living. Remus Lupin would mourn his lover in private, and most likely join him once Harry was out of harm's way. If Harry survived... No, he must not consider the prophecy in terms of if but rather of when.

His musings were interrupted by Luna's moonlit eyes upon him. He could feel her mind probing his, and for once allowed it. He would not allow her to access the prophecy, however. He returned her searching gaze with one of his own, to test her budding Legilimency skills. His little girl was a natural talent, without any formal training. Perhaps he could teach Harry and Luna together. The boy may not resent the lessons if he had a partner less likely to hex him in anger. In fact, Luna was one of the most even-tempered children he had ever had the pleasure of knowing. That she was his flesh and blood had nothing to do with it, of course. Thinking of her accomplishments caused his heart to swell with pride, and gave him a solution to one of his current dilemmas.

"Harry should not be alone," she announced. He nodded in agreement. "He does have friends, of course, but he carries a burden that he cannot share with them."

"I need you to watch out for him, my dear. I cannot be everywhere at once, and it would help me tremendously if you would keep me abreast of the situation with Harry. I know that you will be in Sweden, but I would appreciate it if you would check in on him. He does not trust me anymore," he added sadly.

Luna grasped his trembling hand in her own tiny one. His hand began to glow with a gentle light. Albus relaxed as a gentle wave of magic washed over him. Luna had tapped into a special gift, passed down through the women of his family. These isles were once again shrouded in mist and mystery, giving rise to rumors of witches and wise women. In the Muggle world, there had been a revived interest in the study of the occult. Albus had been quite pleased when his eighteen-year-old daughter had come from university with tales of self-titled wiccans and pagans, Muggle women and men who had tapped into powers of the mind and heart. He had been aware that when endangered, a small percentage of Muggles could perform basic wandless magic, but that Muggles could look upon magic without fear warmed his heart. Celeste had delved into the covens of Britain, traveled amongst the Gypsies, and spoke with Native American spiritual leaders in her quest for understanding. She knew there had to be a link, a common ancestor if you will, between the magical community she had grown up in and Muggles. Perhaps it was a dormant trait, or a spontaneous mutation that would explain the presence of Muggleborns at Hogwarts.

Albus pointed out to her that not every witch or wizard's family accepted the invitation to magical schools. Some thought it was a joke, a hoax. Others feared what they saw as the work of an evil being, and tried to stamp out or suppress the magic. The reality of the matter was that there were untrained witches and wizards out there, some of whom thankfully were not very powerful. He shuddered to think what might happen if someone as powerful as Harry did not receive guidance and training. This brought him out of his reverie abruptly, as the weight of the current situation pressed down upon his shoulders once more.

He smiled at Luna, "Thank you, my little moon. I needed the reminder that there is still love and hope in the world. Your simple kindness has helped me more than you know." He glanced at the clock upon the wall. "This night has been the second-longest night of my life, after your mother's birth, of course."

"Especially when you consider that you have lived it twice, wouldn't you say?" Luna grinned.

He chuckled, "I won't ask how you know that. Your grandmother was eerily observant; no sneaking out with my brother to the pub, that's for sure. She always knew when I was up to something."

Luna cocked her head to the side, and sighed, "Do be careful, Grandpa. Mother went beyond the Veil..."

"You saw that, did you?" Albus groaned. "I thought I'd shielded my mind enough. You won't tell anyone." Luna looked as if she wanted to tell someone desperately, (a certain Gryffindor sprang to mind) but she understood the reason for secrecy. Necromancy was nothing to be trifled with.

"You swore to me that under no circumstance should the Veil be tampered with." Luna's eyes reflected a hint of anger, which took him by surprise. In a soft voice she added, "You wouldn't bring back my mother."

"Couldn't," he explained gently.

"Wouldn't," Luna stated in a flat voice. Albus felt the weight of her displeasure directed at him. Then, suddenly, she was serenely cheerful again. "Well, if it helps Harry, then it is worth the risk. Besides, you know what you are doing," she said, rising to leave. "I'll see myself out. Good night."

As she left, his heart sank. He never intended to upset Luna. He had not taken her feelings into account when he considered bringing Sirius Black back from beyond the Veil. It had proved more problematic than he had expected. Using the time turner had drained him of his strength, forcing him to call upon Severus for assistance. When the Potions Master entered the Room of Requirement, he had lunged at the incapacitated Black, held back only by the Headmaster's sheer will. It was lucky that the Animagus had been asleep; otherwise his endeavor would have been in vain. Snape's parting shot had been, "You don't pay me enough for this, sir." Yet, he grudgingly agreed to take care of his once-tormentor.

Albus struggled to his feet. By now, his guest should be awake. He sighed, mentally preparing himself before entering the hidden room. It had not been used by the Defense Association for awhile. Dobby was given the task of ensuring that no one went or out of the room, save Severus and himself. He swept into the room, wrapped in the glamour of strength and vitality. It would not do for Sirius to see him in his weakened state. He mustered up as much cheer as possible, "Sirius, my dear boy! Welcome to Hogwarts!"

Albus watched as the last of the thestral-driven carriages disappeared from view. He turned to his deputy headmistress. "Minerva, please inform Miss Lovegood that her father will be arriving shortly to pick her up. I would like to see her off."

McGonagall nodded briskly, "Of course, Albus." She limped toward the office door, and was mildly surprised to find the girl waiting patiently in the hall with her belongings. "Hello, Luna."

"I have changed my mind." Luna drifted into the room, and waved to her grandfather. She stood a bit straighter and held herself with an air of certainty.

"I beg your pardon?" stuttered the professor. "Students cannot stay at the castle during the summer, as you are well aware."

"Harry needs me," she replied simply. "Grandpa, I'm sure that Daddy will understand that I am needed here. I will help Hagrid feed the thestrals. I'm sure that Professor Snape could use help restocking all the potion supplies." Luna had a stubborn look on her face that reminded him of her mother. "Neither one of you are in top physical condition to climb the stairs to visit Trelawney. I could even visit Myrtle. She tolerates me well enough."

Gently he tried to dissuade her, "Luna, dear, your father misses you. You did not return for the scheduled breaks, choosing instead to remain here. If there are problems at home..." He left the question unsaid, but she understood his meaning.

Luna replied, "Father and I get on quite well. His work is quite important, you know. It is so important that his secretary feels compelled to spend the night there instead of in her own apartment, so that she is always at hand should he need her." Luna's voice betrayed her opinion of the woman. Albus suspected that she resented her father's girlfriend, but he understood how lonely it must be for him when Luna was in school. He could not fault the man for plunging back into dating.

"I see. Do you think he should have need of her during your trip, then?"

"Surely not! We'll be roughing it the Muggle way at times which I am certain would not agree with her delicate constitution." Luna explained, "She is with child, it would seem. Daddy has not commented on it, which is quite unlike him. He used to tell me everything." She mused aloud, "Perhaps she had been abducted by aliens, and they impregnated her with their spawn. Daddy would not want the Prophet to gain hold of such valuable information, and would want to protect her from scandal. He is quite the gentleman. He would most likely claim the child as his own, wouldn't you agree?"

Minerva looked upon the blonde with sympathy, thinking that if she insisted upon sensationalizing the story it must be difficult for her to accept the arrival of a sibling. She reflected upon her own half-brother, and how difficult it had been to accept him into her heart. If she had reached out to him while there was still time, perhaps he would not have taken such an interest in the Dark Arts... She willed the old pain away, and refocused her attention on the child. "Perhaps it would be best then, for you to love the child as your own blood."

Albus squeezed her hand, "Thank you, Minerva." He turned toward the fireplace as Luna's father appeared. The bearded man did not bother to brush off the Floo powder and soot. Instead he reached behind him to pull a woman forward. "Albus, this is Jennifer Swann, my fiancée. Jenny, this is Albus Dumbledore." Luna stood in the shadows as the heavily pregnant secretary shook hands with her grandfather. Her eyes were drawn to the window as she thought of poor Harry, mourning his godfather. Suddenly she stiffened. This did not go unnoticed by her grandfather.

"Luna, dear; is everything fine?" Albus inquired. Luna nodded slowly, shielding her true emotions from him. He wondered at this. Her eyes held the vacant expression that she displayed for most of the students. With one final glance at him, she allowed herself to be taken away, listless and subdued. She did not seem to be looking forward to the trip.

Albus turned to the man hiding under the Invisibility Cloak. "Sirius, she knows."

Sirius threw off the cloak and leaned against the window frame, arms crossed in front of his chest. "It's not fair to Harry to make him suffer like this. I do understand, though. Why can't we at least tell Remus?" he pouted.

Snape entered the room, and responded in a silky voice, "Because this is one secret your wife would have a difficult time keeping. Think with your head for once, rather than other parts of your anatomy..."

"Shut it, Snivellus!" he advanced upon the sneering Slytherin. Albus had to restrain him. He spat, "Just because you are incapable of love..."

Albus shook his head slowly. Severus corrected him sharply, "I have loved more deeply than you will ever know, and been loved in return. But you would not see it then, so why should I expect you to understand it now?"

Sirius scoffed, "Who could ever love a greasy git like you?"

"LILY DID!" he shouted. The room grew silent. Snape continued in a warm tone, "I loved her, in spite of her heritage. She told me herself that she cared for me, but thanks to your little stunt, she began to develop feelings for him. James saved my life; I should have been grateful, she said. I wonder what she would have done if I had been allowed to tell the truth." He glared at the headmaster briefly. "That her precious Gryffindors were to blame for attempted murder by werewolf!"

Albus sighed. He did not have the strength today to deal with their squabbles. It was time that they grew up and got over it. "Lemon drop?" he offered, popping one in his own mouth.

Sirius replied hotly, "Don't you dare blame Remus for any of this! I know what I did and I'm sorry, dammit!" In a cracking voice, he continued, "Remus blamed himself enough already. I had to stop him from killing himself over you. When you announced his little secret, he did not fight back. Teaching was the only thing worthwhile in his life at the time, and you took that from him."

Snape looked on in amazement as his nemesis cried openly in front of him. Normally he would have enjoyed seeing him on his knees reduced to tears, and could have said something scathingly witty. But he held his tongue. He found that he had no desire to cause the man any more suffering. "I wasn't, Sirius."

Sirius looked up at him in astonishment. He had never been called by anything other than epithets by the sullen Slytherin. Severus continued, "Remus is not to blame. He is at the mercy of the beast during the full moon. I merely thought he should exercise more caution than he did but he threw away all of my hard work on the Wolfsbane potion. He risked nearly everything to prove that you were innocent, that Pettigrew was the true traitor. He endangered the lives of the students and I could not allow that, no matter how much he loves the boy. I will not apologize for my actions in this regard. I'm sure that you would agree that Harry's safety that night was of the utmost importance."

Sirius grudgingly conceded, "It seems that for once we agree on something, Sn... Severus." He looked away suddenly.

Snape nodded. "However, I am sorry that Remus suffered for it. That was never my intent, contrary to what you may believe." Underneath his words ran a hint of regret, audible to the occupants of the room.

Albus breathed easier. They would be all right. He clapped them each on the back, saying, "We need to discuss my granddaughter. She is highly sensitive to emotions and shows strong Legilimency skills. It is possible that she felt your presence here, and she already suspects that I have tampered with the Veil. I would have liked for her to think that I failed, for the moment. If I allow her to spend the summer here, any information she uncovers may jeopardize her life and the Order. She will be safer with her father, for now."

Sirius and Severus exchanged looks, apparently thinking of the same thing. Snape spoke first, "I know that look, Albus. You want me to train both her and the boy, in case of attack." He sounded a touch put out. Albus hastened to reassure him that he intended to oversee their training himself, but that he wanted a back-up in case he became... unavailable. His eyes widened. Snape caught a flicker of fear, and said softly, "No." He backed slowly away from the headmaster.

Minerva harrumphed, "After everything the man has done for you, Severus! Why ever not?" She looked down the length of her nose at him, reminding him of her days as his professor. It had taken Severus a long time to get past his fear of her temper.

Sirius had watched this exchange carefully, especially his reaction to Dumbledore. Saddened, he realized how much the Slytherin adored Dumbledore. He reprimanded McGonagall, "He's not refusing the request. Something else is troubling him, something he saw just now. Severus?"

But he did not answer, for he was rushing past them all, to take refuge in his sanctuary. He would not, could not allow them to see the tears which threatened to spill down his face. The last time he allowed himself the luxury of crying was when his son died. He had vowed that no one would ever touch his heart like that again, but the old man had been more of a father to him than his own ever was. The Wizarding world was at war, and Albus Dumbledore was dying.

Albus sighed, "Sirius? Leave us. I'll let you know when we can arrange for you to see Harry." The young man gave a short bow and left for the Room of Requirement, wondering what had upset Snape so. Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. "Minnie." He grabbed both of her hands, forcing her to look up at him.

"What is it, Albus?" she asked. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

He played about with her hand a bit, saying fondly, "We've been quite a formidable pair, haven't we, partner? We've seen many great things, and shared deep tragedies. When my wife died, I thought I would lose my mind. You helped me raise Celeste from infancy. I never thought I would be the one to outlive my wife or my daughter."

She patted his hand, saying, "My Daniel died in the Muggle war, Albus. I never had the chance to have a child of my own. You were my best friend, and you needed me. What could I do?" She placed a gentle kiss upon his cheek. "You still need me, you know."

He hugged her. "You had me worried there, old girl."

She slapped him playfully, "Old girl! I'll have you know that it would take much more than four Stunners to the chest to stop me."

Albus chuckled, "Ooh, claws in, kitten!" He held one dainty wrist in his larger hand, and placed it by her side. He sobered, "There is something I need to tell you, Minnie."

She stopped him. "The prophecy, Albus? You know what it says, don't you?"

He said in a rush, "Well, yes, but that is not what I was about to say..."

She screeched triumphantly, reminding him of Hermione Granger, "I knew it! Albus, how bad is it?" She searched his face for information. When he sighed again, her stomach began to twist into knots.

"If I tell you the contents," he began, "you must promise me not to breathe a word of this to anyone. First, I have news of my own that pale in comparison, but if I don't tell you now I never will. Minnie, the cancer is back." He paused, "I could receive treatments that would relieve my symptoms, but there really is nothing that can be done. Eventually, I'll die." He smiled weakly. He explained that his main concern was the fact that everyone needed him, especially Harry, which led to the revelation that Harry would be fighting for his life.

"Oh, Albus!" she cried out, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I need you now more than ever. Harry is severely depressed right now, and everyone assumes it is because of losing Sirius. He hasn't told his friends yet; otherwise Miss Granger would have broken my door down long ago."

She sniffed, "Then, let's hope that he can find someone to confide in soon."

A few weeks later, the dream he was having was interrupted by the arrival of a raven, Luna's bird Poe, no doubt. Ever since he had given her a book of poems by Edgar Allen Poe, she had been quite taken with the species. He sleepily unrolled the parchment, and gasped in horror. "Alert the Order, Severus!" Rapidly he transfigured his nightshirt to normal robes, racing from the room, leaving the newspaper article fluttering in his wake.

At the Burrow, things were in an uproar. Moody was busily trying to explain that Harry had been seen getting into the lift by Tonks, who had assumed he was visiting Mr.Weasley. In passing she had mentioned Harry's visit to Arthur, asking whether he was dating Ginny yet. He told her that she was mistaken; Ginny was dating Dean Thomas. Just then, the Daily Prophet had been delivered, bearing the headline "Boy-Who-Lived Takes Own Life: Love Triangle Gone Wrong". Ron held Hermione to him as she sobbed, "I didn't know he felt that way about me, honestly!"

Fred and George had thought it rubbish at first, congratulating their brother on his good fortune to be involved in a threesome. "Rumours of his death are greatly exaggerated," they joked. When their mum started crying, though, they grew silent, realizing that it could actually be true. They felt terrible. Currently they were holding her between themselves, trying to apologize. Their older brothers were arguing loudly about whose turn it had been to watch over Harry, since they both were members of the Order.

Albus noticed that Ginny was missing. He excused himself, though no one paid him any attention, finding her outside beneath the darkened sky, on an old tire swing that her dad had strung up. "Hello, Ginevra."

She refused to look at him, instead gazing at the stars above. Finally after a few minutes of pregnant silence, she muttered, "It can't be true."

"Luna sent me a letter, Ginny. She feared that he would try to hurt himself. She was on her way to convince him to stay away from the Veil."

Ginny rose angrily, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Then where is she? Where is he, for that matter? He's not dead, sir. I would know it if he were." She was facing off against him, but he was not the one she was fighting. Albus suspected that there was something she had not told anyone yet, and he had a fair guess what it was. "Everyone thinks he would give up, but they are wrong. Harry is not gone. I can feel it, here!" She jabbed at her chest. "As for the crap the paper is pushing down our throats, none of it is real. Do you know what they accused Hermione of? Again! Like it wasn't bad enough that Skeeter painted her a scarlet woman and made mum get so angry at her when Krum was around, now she's the cause of Harry's death. It's disgusting."

Together they watched the Order members drag themselves back to their homes, morose and disheartened. Suddenly, Ginny said, "Where is Professor Lupin? I didn't see him here. Full moon's not until tomorrow night."

Dumbledore casually tossed out, "He's been holed up at Headquarters since Sirius... I don't believe it!" He slapped his leg. He grabbed Ginny, pulling her into his embrace. He swung her around, saying, "How simple! If Luna has succeeded, then Harry must have gone to visit Remus. We tried to contact him, although, he has been ignoring owls lately. Could you pop over just in case?"

Ginny agreed readily. After he left, she approached her Mum. "Professor Lupin didn't come over, and Dumbledore was worried about him. He's been ignoring the owl post as well. I'd like to tell him in person."

Molly began to protest weakly, but then took in the look in her daughter's eyes. If it helped her to admit that Harry was gone, then she would allow it, but not without some reservations. "You may go, but Ginny, dear, be careful." Ginny kissed her mother happily on the cheek, and started to bounce off, but was stopped by her mother's final words. "Of course, you'll have to wait until morning. Your father can drop you off on his way to work."

Ginny's face fell, and she muttered, "Alright." She slumped off to her bedroom, shutting the door loudly. Still standing in the hall, she crept over to Ron's room, sneaking in to find Hermione lying in bed with him. She clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent giggles from escaping. Ron was snoring loudly, with Hermione curled up on his chest. She approached the bureau carefully, opening the third drawer. There! She spied the bag of coins that Ron had been accumulating from his summer job at Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes. She felt terrible, really she did, but Harry needed her. She lifted the bag, intending to pay her brother back, when suddenly a voice hissed.

"Ginny!" Hermione sprang from the bed to snatch the bag away from her. "What are you doing here?"

Ginny placed a hand over her mouth, whispering furiously, "I'm just borrowing some money to see Lupin. If you even think of telling Mum, I'll tell her what you are doing in Ron's room, and don't think I won't!"

Hermione knocked her hand away. She whispered, "That's blackmail! Okay. If you insist upon sneaking out at four in the morning, then we're coming with you!" Before she could protest, her friend woke Ron. They Flooed to Neville's, and then took the Knight Bus to London. When Lupin looked out his window, he noticed the four tired teens appear on the doorstep of 12 Grimmauld Place.

Albus sighed with relief. Luna and Harry were safe. Severus had informed him of their arrival, and briefed him on the events which transpired during the meeting with the Death Eaters. Luna's father and girlfriend had been killed and the offices of the Quibbler set aflame. The damage to the building was minimal, but the cost to Luna much greater. She had been abducted, and it was uncertain what atrocities may have been committed against her before Severus helped her to escape. Harry had apparently shown her where to find Headquarters, for she had shown up on the doorstep before the others arrived.

"From what Miss Lovegood has told me, she left him at Headquarters yesterday, then proceeded to her father's newspaper, where the kidnapping took place. Albus, she met the Dark Lord..." Severus informed him, via the fireplace.

Albus noticed his friend's trembling hands, wondering what could have happened to him. He sat up in his chair abruptly. "MY LUNA?" he shouted, clutching the armrests of his chair. His heart began racing wildly as the implications sank in. "Is she...?"

"She'll be fine, sir. Much as I dislike the boy, Harry has been good for her. He's with her now. Normally I would not allow any boy in her room, you understand, but...I trust him with her." He sighed, thinking of the more personal events of the day. "There are six teenagers currently spending the night, and of course, Miss Tonks. Thankfully she has been keeping an eye on them as well. While I had a word with Harry, she caught Miss Granger and young Weasley in a rather compromising position. I'll be glad to be rid of them after the birthday party." Hurriedly, he assured the Headmaster, "Your grand-daughter is, of course, no problem for me to look after, but I cannot have a house full of bloody Gryffindors tramping about while Black is staying with me. Suppose Harry saw him?"

"Harry?" Albus chuckled, "If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were concerned for the boy."

Severus snapped, "Lily's son deserves to know the truth, Albus. He nearly killed himself trying to be with his godfather. The only good thing to come of it was that the Dark Lord believes Harry to have perished. He was able to access part of Luna's memory of the Veil. Now she is a target. I hope you are happy, sir." What he did not say was that now he also would be a target, since he had helped her escape. Part of him felt relieved, though. He had never thought to last this long. The rest of him worried whether the Order would still find him useful now that he could no longer be Dumbledore's spy.

Albus sighed, "Where is Sirius now?"

"In the basement, with Lupin."

"Severus!"

"Where was I going to put him, in my bed? At least Black can handle him in werewolf form. If you could come up with a solution, I'd gladly listen, but if not, back off. I'm exhausted, sir. I've not slept in days. I've had to rescue a princess, and tell the Dark Lord to shove off, which, now that I think of it, was rather enjoyable, apart from being nearly tortured to death. I manage to drag myself home to find it overrun with Gryffindors. Not to mention seeing Lily again; I just cannot deal with one more thing right now, sir. Good night!" He stalked off, leaving his mentor in a state of shock. As he slammed the door behind him, he heard Albus mention her name, confused. Let him wonder.

In the kitchen, he slammed down the empty bottle of firewhiskey, nearly in tears. He felt arms slip around his waist, and for once did not fight her offer of kindness. He turned to face the person. "Dear gods; if you wanted to seduce me, Tonks, could you please not wear your cousin's face while you do so!"

Tonks wriggled her pert nose and transformed into her normal face, which did not remind him of Sirius so much as it did of Bella. He let her lead him into the bedroom. They sat down on his bed together. "On second thought, maybe Lily's face would be the less painful..." he responded dryly. Tonks hit his arm in mock anger, causing him to smirk slightly. He relaxed against her chest, thankful it was amply padded. Contrary to popular misconception, he did not fancy men, thank you very much, and preferred curves on his women. Woman, he corrected himself. There had been only one woman for him, which Tonks had reminded him earlier.

Severus felt his heart begin pounding due to the close proximity of the desirable woman. He tried to control his responses, finding it difficult to maintain his aloof demeanor. The fact that he was most definitely drunk did not help matters. Normally, he avoided firewhiskey, needing his mind to stay sharp and to keep his emotions in check. Tonight, he didn't care anymore. He laid his head in her lap, breathing in her feminine essence. It had been far too long since he had felt the touch of a woman. He closed his eyes, just for a moment, too tired to resist her.

Tonks stroked his hair. She pouted slightly, "I didn't want you to see my true face before, and now you know why."

Severus opened one eye lazily. He replied, "You are a Black, no matter how much you loathe it. If I had a face as lovely as yours, I would not hide it."

"Why, Sev, that's almost romantic!" she teased.

"Keep your true face, but lose the hair. I must admit, pink has grown on me. I'll deny it in public, of course," he said, looking up into her eyes.

"Of course." Tonks smiled warmly. When she was nervous or upset, she had a tendency to mimic the people nearby. After spending a good portion of the day with the Weasleys, worrying about Harry, she had morphed into a semblance of Lily. She did not know that Severus had been in love with Harry's mother. Then, she got angry at him, and dropped her mask completely, something she had not done since Hogwarts. Instead of being angry with her, he had been intrigued. Severus had taken her aside, deciding to tell her the truth about Sirius.

Tonks muttered, "I'm sorry about earlier, really."

He reached up to touch her face, saying softly, "You are a very attractive woman, Dora, and I'm a fool to have not noticed sooner."

"You're just saying that because you're pissed." She pushed his head off of her lap, and tried to leave. He grabbed her arm.

"Possibly." He watched her full, soft lips, wondering if she would let him kiss her. "That doesn't change the fact that it is true."

"Tell that to the men I meet." She sounded vulnerable, quite unlike the spunky Auror he was used to. "They always want me to be thinner, blonder, taller... you name it. Why would I want to be with someone who doesn't like me the way I am? They can just sod off!"

Severus stiffened as their eyes met. Suddenly his mind filled with images of her refusing the advances of young men, and the occasional woman. He saw her crying in front of her mirror. He had not meant to enter her mind. He felt a pang of sympathy for the young woman, in tears because everyone wanted her to act out their fantasies. She was not as real to them as she was to him. He blurted out, "You're a virgin?"

She glared at him, "Yeah, so what? Thought I was the village bicycle, did you? Thanks a lot!"

"Wait!" he cried out. "I did not mean to offend you. I was merely shocked that no one had proven themselves worthy of your affections. Bloody fools they were to not see what I see." Severus pulled her close, placing a bold kiss upon her forehead. Bold, that is, for him. "I'm rubbish at romance, but know that you are wonderful the way you are. I could care less about your relatives; in fact, I do care less," he sneered.

"You're not a complete arse after all, Sev." Tonks dried her eyes on his shirt, earning her a mock glare from him. His look softened as he took her face in his hands, and kissed her lips gently. She pounced on him, saying, "Bugger all. Did you think I'd let you get away with just one kiss after saying something as lovely as that?"

Severus paled, realizing that the Auror had straddled his waist and was busy kissing his neckline. He let himself give in to the feelings she aroused in him, and tried to respond accordingly. Soon, he found himself reassuring her that they could take things as slowly as she liked. He had waited nearly a decade to find another woman he could care for, and did not mind waiting as long as necessary. She smiled drowsily, resting her head on his chest. He convinced her to transfigure her clothing into something a bit more comfortable. As she slept, he stroked her pink, spiky hair.

The morning's light filtered through his window. He squinted as he was aware of a

figure wrapped around his body. At first he tensed, relaxing only when he realized it was Dora. Sighing in relief, he opened his eyes. Remus was standing in the doorway, a look of pure rapture on his face. Before he could say a word, Severus placed a finger to his lip, and slipped out of the bed. He pointed to the hallway. In the hall, he was surprised to find himself enveloped in a hug. He exclaimed, "Heel, boy! Get off of me! Just because I'm a sharp dresser doesn't mean I fancy men."

Remus smiled bashfully at his joke. "Sorry about that, Severus. I just can't believe he's back!" he whispered excitedly.

Severus lowered his voice, "Keep it to yourself. We cannot tell Potter just yet." He explained briefly about the headmaster's plan. As he mentioned Dora's part, he noted that Remus kept glancing back to the closed bedroom door. He exhaled sharply, "She is not under Imperius or drugged, Lupin. She is in my bed of her own free will." He silently challenged the werewolf to protest.

Instead, Remus smiled in delight. "I would never imply any such thing. I was just imagining the look on Sirius's face when he finds out that you have won the heart of his cousin."

Severus slowly grinned as he realized how much fun he would have tormenting Sirius about dating his younger cousin. "Have you seen Harry yet?" he changed the subject, schooling his features into the mask he normally wore.

Remus sighed. "He's not in his bed?"

"How true that is, Remus. He is not in his bed. Would you care to wager as to whose bed he is in?" he purred. He watched as Remus lifted an eyebrow. Then the two of them walked down the hall toward Luna's room. Severus sneered slightly, but his heart wasn't in it. They peeked at the two snuggled up on the bed.

"I don't believe it. He told me he had feelings for the girl, but in your house, Severus!" Remus remarked. "I'll let you discipline the boy this time."

"Sure, leave the difficult stuff to me." He groaned, "He hates me."

"You mistake me, Severus." Remus sniffed, "I'm afraid that I will tear him a new one if I go in right now." With that, he sauntered off to the kitchen.

Severus leaned over Harry, saying, "Pleasant dreams, indeed, Potter."

After breakfast, Tonks managed to steer Harry out of the room so that they could discuss Sirius. Snape was aware of the rampant hormones being displayed in the hall, but decided to ignore them. It was not his job to referee any altercation between Weasley and Potter outside of school. His attention was drawn to the man who had come to breakfast. Sirius sat between Nymphadora and Remus. Snape disregarded the hand under the table on Lupin's lap. When Sirius leaned in closer to lick Remus on the cheek, keeping his eyes on him the whole time, he decided that two could play at that game. He rose from the table, and stood behind her. Leaning over to whisper in her ear, he told her to play along.

She giggled, "Sevvie, you are incorrigible."

Sirius's jaw dropped. Severus swept her hair back from off her neck, looking for the world like a vampire. He began to kiss her neck, pausing for a moment when he felt Harry's mind touch his own. This will teach the boy not to snoop into adult business, he thought. Baring his teeth, he nipped her neck. He felt the boy withdraw from his mind in a hurry.

"But... but..." Sirius spluttered.

Tonks smiled at him, "A lot has changed since you've been gone, isn't that right, darling?" She pretended to whisper raunchy suggestions in his ear, but what she really was saying was, "You bit me, you bastard. You'll pay for that later."

Aloud, Severus replied, "I look forward to your affections this evening, after the children have gone, of course. I'm not a Neanderthal."

Remus lost it. He started laughing so hard that he choked on his tea and had to be thumped on the back by his soul-mate. Sirius glared at both of them. "I won't allow it, not at all, Nymphadora!"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Gotcha conk!" She honked his nose.

Severus snorted, "Sorry, I just couldn't help it. The look on your face..." His attention was drawn to Harry's mind once more, and he was startled to find that Harry had more in common with Black and Lupin than they knew. Wisely, he kept quiet on the matter, but he couldn't keep the smirk off of his face. Well, he certainly did not get that from his father...I wonder what James would say if he knew his son was a poof.

Severus turned his attention back to the conversation at the breakfast table, laughing outright when his Dora teased, "I'm carrying his love child, you know."